Loading...
How Politics Led the IRS to Target Conservative Tax-Exempt Applicants for their Political Beliefs
House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
Abstract
This report from the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform finds that Obama's rhetoric against Citizens United and so-called "shadow" groups posing as nonprofits led to the IRS's targeting of conservative tax-exempt applicants. The Committee's investigation shows that as the President generated attention to the issue of nonprofit political speech in 2010, IRS employees followed his public messaging. As a result of the IRS targeting, hundreds of tax-exempt applicants were singled out for scrutiny on undeniably political grounds. This report chronicles the public statements about the Citizens United decision, the DISCLOSE Act, and comments regarding nonprofit political speechmade by President Obama, his senior White House advisors, and other prominent Democrats throughout 2010.
Date
2014-06-16
Document Type
House Majority Staff Report
Serial Number
Document Length
77 pages
Congress
113
Relation
DOI
Keywords
Staff Reports, House, Republican
PAP Major Code
20: Government Operations
PAP Minor Code
2002: Government Efficiency, General Regulatory Policy and Bureaucratic Oversight
Related Hearings
• House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Job Creation and Regulatory Affairs, hearing on "The Administration's Proposed Restrictions on Political Speech: Doubling Down on IRS Targeting," 113th Cong., H.Hrg. 113-93, (2014, February 27)
• Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, hearing on "Corporate America vs. The Voter: Examining the Supreme Court's Decision to Allow Unlimited Corporate Spending in Election," 111th Cong., (2010, February 3)
• House Committee on House Administration, hearing on "Defining the Future of Campaign Finance in an Age of Supreme Court Activism," 111th Cong., (2010, February 3)
• House Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties, hearing on "First Amendment and Campaign Finance Reform after Citizens United," 111th Cong., H.Hrg. 111-71, (2010, February 3)
• Senate Committee on the Judiciary, hearing on "'We the People'? Corporate Spending in American Elections After Citizens United," 111th Cong., S.Hrg. 111-621, (2010, March 10)
• House Committee on House Administration, hearing on "H.R. 5175, the Disclose Act, Democracy Is Strengthened by Casting Light on Spending in Elections," 111th Cong., (2010, May 6)
• House Committee on House Administration, hearing on "Additional Discussion of H.R. 5175, the Disclose Act, Democracy Is Strengthened by Casting Light on Spending in Elections," 111th Cong., (2010, May 11)
• Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, hearing on "Corporate America vs. The Voter: Examining the Supreme Court's Decision to Allow Unlimited Corporate Spending in Election," 111th Cong., (2010, February 3)
• House Committee on House Administration, hearing on "Defining the Future of Campaign Finance in an Age of Supreme Court Activism," 111th Cong., (2010, February 3)
• House Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties, hearing on "First Amendment and Campaign Finance Reform after Citizens United," 111th Cong., H.Hrg. 111-71, (2010, February 3)
• Senate Committee on the Judiciary, hearing on "'We the People'? Corporate Spending in American Elections After Citizens United," 111th Cong., S.Hrg. 111-621, (2010, March 10)
• House Committee on House Administration, hearing on "H.R. 5175, the Disclose Act, Democracy Is Strengthened by Casting Light on Spending in Elections," 111th Cong., (2010, May 6)
• House Committee on House Administration, hearing on "Additional Discussion of H.R. 5175, the Disclose Act, Democracy Is Strengthened by Casting Light on Spending in Elections," 111th Cong., (2010, May 11)
Press Releases and Contextual Information
https://web.archive.org/web/20230614214049/https://oversight.house.gov/report/pressure-left-led-irs-doj-restrict-freedom-speech/